Carst VDL (Harley VDL x Calido I) and Todd Minikus top the YJC Clear Round Club, representing horses that have jumped clear in every YJC Qualifier to date in 2012. Sportfot.com photo.

In the midst of the excitement surrounding the Olympic Selection Trials, we pause to think about what it is that makes a champion. Superlatives like heart, scope and speed come to mind, but there’s also the often ignored quality of consistency. The ability to jump clear round after clear round doesn’t in itself guarantee success, but it certainly brings it within reach. With that in mind, we took a look at this season’s crop of Young Jumpers and have put together a list we call the Clear Round Club. The horse-and-rider combinations featured below have earned a minimum of three clear rounds in YJC Qualifiers, but the important point is none of them have incurred a first-round fault in a Qualifier so far this season. In baseball terms, they are batting 1000. The horses on the list represent all 4 age groups and are ranked by the number of clear rounds, to date:

1 CARST VDL (2007 ch.g. KWPN Harley VDL x Calido I), O: Stephanie Vijan, R: Todd Minikus, B: M. van de Bruggen (NED). Clear rounds = 7

2 FREESTYLE DE MUZE (2005 gr.g. BWP, Lord Z x Cento) O: Equinimity LLC, R: Richie Moloney, B: Joris de Brabander (BEL). Clear rounds = 6

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